From his youth league days, to middle school and into high school, Brett Hathaway knew only one color scheme when it came to the football field. The 2013 Bridgeport High School alum proudly wore red and white of his alma mater for all of those years.

 

From 2013 to the 2017 football season, Hathaway continued wearing the colors. During those years, he did so as a coach and, for many, the thought was he may be a long-time coach and perhaps one day even coach the Tribe.

 

While Hathaway is still coaching and could one day be the head coach of the Indians or another program, he won’t be doing it wearing the red and white of the Tribe. Hathaway, a two-time all-state running back with the Indians, will be sporting different colors this fall.

 

Recently, Hathaway was named the new defensive coordinator for South Harrison. He’ll now be sporting the orange and black. Hathaway was quick to point out that the switch to the Hawks, and color schemes, has nothing to do with hating his gig with the Tribe.

 

Rather, it has to do with the goal he set for himself when he began coaching. And that is to prepare himself to one day be a head coach.

 

“If you want to be a coach, then you need to get out of your comfort zone as far as what you know. Now I’m in a new comfort zone with a new staff, program and new challenges and I’m looking forward to it,” said Hathaway, who will be coaching for first-year Hawks Coach Chris Underwood who replaced long-time and recently retired Coach Brad Jett.

 

While Hathaway knows the Bridgeport system inside and out, he’s going to see different approaches with the Hawks. He also knows he’ll be preparing against different schemes as well with a new set of foes each week.

 

“Whether you’re talking about preparing your own running or passing game or how to defend against a running or passing game, if you’re wanting to develop as a coach it’s a good idea to get a gauge of what other coaches are trying to do,” said Hathaway. “If I am able to be a head coach one day, my hope is to take bits and pieces from what I learn on my own and what I can learn from coaches I work with and against.”

 

His former boss, BHS Coach John Cole, said he definitely can see Hathaway heading a program. And he wouldn’t be surprised when it happens that he’ll be successful.

 

“He’ll absolutely make a good head coach. He’s a smart kid and has always been a smart kid. The thing that helped him was that he was football smart, too,” said Cole. “Football has consumed a lot of his life to this point and a lot of that has to do with his family being into the game and his father coaching. He loves the sport, he understands it and if he wants to be a coach then there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll make it happen.”

 

Hathaway is smart enough to not put a time frame on when he wants it to happen. The reason for that, he said, is there are things you can’t control.

 

“You don’t know when an opportunity to coach will arise at a school you’re interested in,” said Hathaway.

 

So would he coach out of the area or even out of state?

 

“You never say never, but I would prefer that if I get the chance that it be in North Central West Virginia,” said Hathaway.

 

The fact that Hathaway, not even six years removed from high school and recently graduated from college with his education degree, wants to be a head coach shouldn’t be surprising. His first year out of high school he volunteered at BHS part time and then was a full-time volunteer for the next three years. Last year with the Tribe, Hathaway was a full-time assistant.

 

“I put in a ton of time as a coach and I know that’s not going to change. I enjoy it and I loved the full-time aspect of it. With my job as a defensive coordinator it will be full-time and then some and I’m looking forward to it,” said Hathaway.  “I love the game of football and it’s why I coach.”

 

Hathaway will be joining Underwood and what he said will be a very young staff. The exception is another Bridgeport resident who has a past history with the Indians’ program – Jim Dawson.

 

“Jim’s definitely the oldest of the bunch,” Hathaway laughed. “I think everyone else is under 40 so there’s a lot of young guys wanting to make things work.”

 

Hathaway said he wasn’t going to apply to coach at the first program that came open. Instead, he waited for the opportunity to arrive, see if it was a fit and then apply. Everything fell into place at SHHS.

 

“There are a lot of schools I would not have been interested in going to and may not have went at all,” said Hathaway. “This is one of the few I’ve looked at from afar and thought it would be a good fit.”

 

Finding a good fit was one thing. Leaving the only program you’ve been associated with – and those knowing you only know you being associated with – is another.

 

“It was a tough decision. I love Bridgeport and always will and no matter what it’s my hometown,” said Hathaway, who coaching the linebackers specifically under his d-coordinator’s role as well as helping out with running backs. “I needed a challenge and I’ve found it in a good program that I have respect for in South Harrison.”

 

That, of course, leaves another hole to fill on the Indians’ staff. Cole said that should be addressed in the near future. He said he hopes the replacement will fill Hathaway’s shoes.

 

“If you asked what he coached he’d tell you that with us he did defensive backs and running backs, but his specialty was the ability to build relationships based on trust with the players,” said Cole. “Maybe it was because he was young or maybe just his demeanor, but his demeanor proved to be conducive to players going to him for instruction if they were doing something wrong and get one on one from him. He may have been young, but he was professional enough for the kids to feel close to him and that’s a valuable commodity.

 

“I hate to see him go and wish him well, but ultimately it’s his decision,” Cole continued. “It’s part of the coaching process.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photos shows Brett Hathaway coaching his final game as a member of the BHS staff against Bluefield in last year's Class AA semifinal. Second photo shows Hathaway giving encouragement to the team in 2017, while he's shown running for some tough yards during his playing career with the Indians. All photos by www.benqueenphotography.com.